Page 9 - Industrial Technology EXTRA 8th February 2021

corrode over time and need regular
lubrication.”
NCI helper Martin Seedall CEng
FIMechE, who made the initial contact
with igus, added: “I have incorporated Igus
bearings within numerous product designs
in the past because they are perfect when
you need a quiet, lubrication-free product.
Thank you to the whole igus team for their
support.”
The iglidur bearings are based on
thermoplastic polymers that ensure good
basic resistance to wear. Fibres and filling
materials increase the bearing's
mechanical load-carrying capacity. Most
importantly, they do not require any
external lubrication as solid lubricants are
embedded in the plastic. These are in the
form of millions of microscopic particles in
tiny chambers in the material. From these
chambers, the plain bearings release tiny
amounts of solid lubricants during
movement to sufficiently lubricate the
immediate surrounding area.
In the early 1990s, due to
advancements in technology, HM
Coastguard, responsible for protecting the
UK’s coastlines, consolidated into fewer
locations and closed down many coastal
lookouts. It was because of a subsequent
fatal accident off the coast of Cornwall that
the National Coastwatch Institution, was
founded by a group of volunteers.
Now, in 2021, the remaining watch
stations around the British Isles are
operated and manned by NCI, more than
2,500 volunteers – people valued as the
‘eyes along the coast’, who help
coastguards by spotting distress flares,
overturned vessels, and boats in trouble.
www.igus.co.uk

February 2021 • INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY EXTRA • p9